I have just arrived back from a beautiful place where it felt as if time stood still.
Last week, for the first time in six years, I stayed for a week with a group of monks in a monastery in Moray.
Before my children arrived, I would stay as a guest at Pluscarden Abbey near Elgin about twice a year but, as is often the case, the business of life disrupted this biannual ritual.
I was reminded last week what I have been missing.
The abbey is inhabited by about 15 monks who have given their lives to the ancient practices of silence, solitude and servanthood.
In contrast to the speed of modern life that disrupts and distracts, the pace of Pluscarden inverts everything.
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There is something precious about switching off my phone, disconnecting from politics and embracing another more centred way of living, even just for a few days.
Each day is made up of seven short rhythmic services filled with Gregorian chant.
My personal favourite, Compline, takes place each evening at 8pm and is accompanied only by candles.
Leaving a dark abbey in October and emerging to the sight of a bright moon and stars, or the sound of owls at night and wind in the trees, is a serene experience.
If the busy pace of life is wearing you down, Pluscarden Abbey awaits.
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